A total of 566 passengers were stranded in several ports in the Bicol region due to tropical depression “Kristine”, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Monday, Oct. 21.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said he already instructed all port managers in “Kristine”-affected to attend to the needs of the stranded passengers and also directed the other port managers to prepare as more areas are expected to be hit by the weather disturbance. 

He said the passengers were stranded after their trips were cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

Among the cancelled trips were the Virac, Catanduanes- Tabaco, Albay route.

“Several shipping lines from Masbate also announced cancelled trips due to inclement weather conditions. All trips under the Port Management Office in Western Biliran also cancelled all trips,” said Santiago.

In Albay, free lunches were provided to around stranded passengers staying in ports in compliance with Santiago’s order and in coordination with the local government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In addition to preparations within the ports, the PMO Bicol also made coordination with local government and school administrations regarding potential relocation of passengers if preventive evacuation becomes necessary.

In Biliran, port police and operations personnel conducted inspections to ensure that important documents were in safe locations, while also organizing safety and security signage and setting up tents to prevent damage.

In Masbate and Negros Occidental, port officials have established faster communication channels among relevant agencies regarding port operations and public safety. 

In Northern Luzon, Notices to Seek Shelter/Notices to Pull Out from Berth to agents and ship captains docked at all its ports were already issued to prevent any incidents of damage to port facilities. 

“The safety and convenience of our personnel and passengers during these critical periods are our utmost priorities. Emergency response teams of each PMO should be activated, and safety protocols must be reinforced to protect both personnel and port users,” said Santiago. 

To mitigate the potential impacts of the tropical depression, Santiago said PMOs are required to conduct comprehensive pre-disaster risk assessments of their facilities and infrastructure. 

This includes identifying vulnerabilities and implementing preventive measures to safeguard against damage and disruptions, according to Santiago.